As a global health crisis of unprecedented proportions, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world immeasurably — and its effect on the workforce has been no less radical. According to Prudential’s 2020 Pulse of the American Worker Survey:

of American workers say the way they work will never return to “normal”

say the pandemic has led to stress that’s negatively impacted their job performance

Promoting Employee Wellness

Employee wellness means a lot more than just health and safety; it includes everything from work flexibility to financial security and beyond. No matter your industry, there are several key ways to promote employee wellness within your organization — and you can start today:

Innovative

Health Measures

Flexible Work Model

Wage

Advance

Innovative Health Measures 

As a result of the coronavirus, workplace health and safety have become the number-one concern for employers — and employees — in every sector. 

As the Cleveland Clinic notes, “The COVID-19 pandemic requires multiple layers of protection to keep the workplace safe.” Which is why we’ve seen constantly evolving federal and state guidelines, along with a whole host of new protective measures, including masks, social distancing, deep cleaning and disinfecting, temperature checks, health screening, and more.

• Monitor — and always follow — evolving CDC workplace health and safety guidelines

• Implement touchless time clocks with facial recognition to reduce the spread of illness

• Use screening software to regularly survey employees’ health and risk of illness exposure 

More Flexible Work Model

The pandemic has changed how we work and, perhaps most consequentially,  where we work. With countless businesses’ physical locations shuttered, millions of Americans have shifted from on-site to remote labor — or hybrid work, which is a blended combination of the two.

• Offer greater flexibility and fluidity when it comes to remote versus on-site work

• Leverage mobile technology for previously manual processes, like punching in and even getting paid

• Encourage real-time communication and collaboration via mobile or digital

Wage Advance

Tools for Well-Being

One positive outcome of the pandemic has been a realignment of priorities — on the part of both employers and employees — in favor of a more human, holistic view of individuals as people, not merely workers. This development brings with it an increased emphasis on employees’ mental and physical well-being.

So what exactly can businesses offer their teams to nurture their holistic health? Here are some promising ideas: 

• Expand benefits to include services like child care, caregiving, counseling, and financial coaching

• Provide free access to a mindfulness or behavioral health app, and free or discount memberships to a local gym and/or yoga studio

• Organize team activities and/or volunteer efforts to nurture relationships and boost morale

A Brighter Future

While the pandemic poses untold challenges for the workforce, it also presents a powerful opportunity for organizations across the spectrum to prioritize employee wellness in all its many facets. Its up to today's leaders to seize the moment and ensure that the new normal is truly a brighter, healthier, and more human one. 

A Transformed Workforce

These numbers illustrate the widespread belief that the workforce and the workplace will be forever altered by COVID-19, as well as the personal toll the virus has taken on employees across industries. 

But there’s a silver lining to this deeply challenging situation: a vital new focus on employee wellness. With the lessons of 2020 in mind, business leaders are realizing that, going forward, they must prioritize their workers’ welfare as never before. 

63%

46%

Employee Wellness in the Post-COVID Workplace

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Latest Updates and Resources

Download the A Brighter Future: Employee Wellness in the Post-COVID Workplace e-book, Employee Wellness checklist, and Employee Wellness infographic now!

Employee Wellness Toolkit

The COVID-19 crisis has led to an enormous spike in financial insecurity — not just for the unemployed, but even for those who are still working.

These fears are felt especially acutely by hourly workers. An effective solution to this persistent problem — and an answer to employees’ financial needs — is wage advance, or instant payment.

By offering this feature, organizations can show their workers that they care about their financial stability in these uncertain times.

• Provide a wage-advance option so employees can receive instant payment for hours they’ve already worked

• Offer easy enrollment in the wage-advance program via mobile app

• Make available additional tools and resources to support financial wellness